Embodiments of the inventive concept are directed to a non-volatile memory system, and more particularly, to a non-volatile memory system capable of decreased power consumption, a memory card that includes the non-volatile memory system, and a method of operating the non-volatile memory system.
Among data storage devices, non-volatile memory devices retain stored data even when power supplied thereto is cut off. Examples of non-volatile memory devices include a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a flash memory, a resistive random access memory (RRAM), a phase-change random access memory (PRAM), and a magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). A flash memory is a memory that stores data according to a change in a threshold voltage of a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, and examples include a NAND flash memory and a NOR flash memory.
A typical mobile device stores instruction code or metadata in a static random access memory (SRAM), and during a sleep mode, current leakage occurs in the SRAM such that power consumption is increased. When the size of the instruction code or the size of the metadata is increased, the size of the SRAM has to be increased to correspond to the increase, which increases power consumption by the SRAM during the sleep mode.
A non-volatile memory system includes a memory device and a memory controller that controls the programming, reading, and erasing of data with respect to a cell array. A non-volatile memory system may be formed as a memory card to be embedded in a mobile device, and in this regard, there is a demand for decreasing the power consumed by the non-volatile memory system.